Apparatus for applying inert gas to filled cans



J. M. YOUNG APPARATUS FOR APPLYING INERT GAS .TO FILLED CANS Filed Aug. 50, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet l Hlrllill:

' INVLNTOR.

,- A TTO'RNEY YOUNG July 15, 1

APPARATUS FOR APPLYING INER'I' GAS TO FILLED CANS Filed Aug. 30, 1924 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 %ENTOR ATTORNEY Patented July 15, 1930 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JOHN M. YOUNG, OFBROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR TO AMERICAN CAN COMPANY,

OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY APPARATUS FOR APPLYING INER'J. GAS TO FILLED CANS Application filed August 30, 1924. Serial No. 735,064.

This invention relates to the packing of food products in hermetically closed cans or containers wherein all or substantially all at mospheric air is replaced by an inert gas to prevent bacteriological and other deterioration of the product.

Priorto my invention numerous food products packed in tin cansand other hermetically sealed containers have been treated to substitute an inert gas for all air content. The method of accomplishing this substitution preferred, prior to my invention, hasrequired the placing of the filled can in a confined chamber, the exhaustion of the air from said chamber, then the introduction of an inert gas under pressure into the chamber, and the application of the cover and usually the seaming of the cover in place, all while the can is in the chamber mentioned.

The gas usually employed is carbon dioxid and I have discovered by experiments that this gas is sutficientlyheavier than air to effectively displace any air content of the can within a short time when the can is passed into or through a zone of said inert gas.

An important object of the invention therefore is the substitution of an inert gas for air in a can without the use of vacuum and preferably as a part of a continuous process capable of practice in timed relation with the other machines and processes of the usual canning factory.

Another important object of the invention is the provision of an improved apparatus which will reduce materially the equipment previously thought necessary for substitution of inert gas for air in cans prior to or as an incident to closing.

Another and highly important object of the invention is the improvement in the eflieiency in making. the above-mentioned substitutionand this by the elimination of the necessity of alternately pumping air out of, then gas into, and then gas out of the chamber at each application of the inert. gas.

Numerous other 0 jects and advanta es of the invention will be apparent as it is better understood from the following" description, which, taken in connection with the accompanylng drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment thereof.

Referring to the drawings,

Figure 1 is a vertical sectlon taken longitudinally through an apparatus embodying my present invention and more particularly identified as taken substantially on the lines 1-1'of Fig. 3;

Fig. 2 is a plan section taken substantially on the lines 2-2 of Fig. 1; and

Fig. 3 is an end elevation taken from the receiving end of the apparatus.

Fig. 4 is an enlarged transverse sectional View on line 44 of Fig. 2.

In the practice of the process in which my invention is in part concerned, I arrange the filled cans in a zone of an inert gas heavier than air, such inert gas being preferably carbon dioxid, and maintain the cans in this zone a period of time suflicient to permit the displacementby the heavier gas-of the lighter air within the can. The zone, in accordance with my process, is preferably confined in an also concerned in its preferred form is illustrated on the drawing.

acter 10 indicates a base upon suitable legs 11, which base forms the bottom of a chamber, the other walls of which consist of end walls 12 and side walls 13. This chamber'is open at the top and a zone of carbon dioxidor other appropriate gas is formed and maintained in the lower part of the chamber by the introduction of said gas i'n'the necessary quantity and rate from an inlet pipe 14 having distributing outlet orifices 15. Above this pipe is mounted a belt or other endless conveyer 16 taking over pulleys 17 and. 18 mounted respecttively on shafts 19 and 21, having bearings in side walls of the chamber. The pulley 18 is fixed upon the shaft 21 and this shaft receives continuous rotation from a belt pulley 'wall 13, this 22 in the usual manner.

A table extension 23 is provided at the left-hand end of the machine (viewing Figs. 1 and 2) and through this is mounted a shaft 24 carrying a turret 25 above the table extension. This turret has a plurality of pockets 26- for receiving cans 27 on the table and conveying them during the rotation of the turret past a guide 28 over and onto the upper travel of the bell or conveyer 16. This upper travel of the conveyer passes over a perforated horizontal partition 30 within the chamber, which partition supports the cans and belt as the cans are conveyed.

The end wall 12 is recessed at 29 to permit the cans to be introduced into the chamber and the end wall at this point and the turret 25 extend into the chamber over the belt as may be seen by comparing Figs. 1 and 2. As the cans pass along through the chamber With the conveyer, the substitution of gas for air is produced by gravity, the air and mixture of air and gas ascending from Within the cans and being replaced by the insert and heavier gas, and when the can nears the delivery end of the chamber, it is engaged by a rigid guide 31, fixed at 32 .on an appropriate ide 31 serving to deflect the can into position for entry into a pocket 33 of a discharge turret 34, the can being guided in this engagement by the guide 31 and a second guide 35 at the opposite side of the chamber.

The turret 34 in its rotation carries the cans around for discharge by engagement with a lower discharge plate 36 and out onto an extension 37 from which the cans may be fed to the closing machine. The turret 34 is mounted upon a shaft 38, having bearings at 39 in the extension and base.

I have shown upon the drawings, particularly in Fig. 4 thereof, a cover feed provided at the discharge end of the machine for the purpose of automatically placing covers upon the cans immediately after they leave the gas chamber. While the machine may be employed either with or without this automatic feed (it being entirely feasible, under certain conditions, to position the covers by hand), the use of such a feed is considered desirable for the sake of convenience, since it has been found in practice that the gas becomes rather quickly difl'used or diluted with the outside air and the cans should, therefore, be immediately covered after passing out of the gas chamber.

The feed comprises a stackholder 61, supported upon an extension bracket 62, having thereon a track part 63 in which the covers are directedto' position above the cans 27 as they are delivered from the machine by the discharge turret 34, the track part 63 being cut away above the assembling position, as indicated at 63', so that the covers are positioned directly upon the tops of the cans. A slide 64 is mounted to travel in a guideway 65, extending beneath the stack of ends 66. Said slide is adapted to be reciprocated to feed the bottommost end onto the can in the pocket of the turret adjacent the stack. Said slide has a slotted connection at 67 with a lever 68 pivoted at 69 to an extension 71 on the frame, the lower end of said lever having a slotted connection at 71 with a yoke member 72, which carries a roller 7 3, following an eccentric groove 74 in a cam 75 mounted upon the vertical shaft 38 just above the beveled gear 41.

The mechanism just described operates in timed relation to the rotation of the turret 34 to place the covers upon the cans as they are discharged in manner which will be readily understood.

Each of the shafts 24 and 38 is provided with a bevel pinion 41, which engages with a companion bevel pinion 42 on a power shaft 43 mounted below the base 10 and journaled in cross members 44 arranged between and integral with the legs at each end. This shaft 43 is provided also with a pulley 45 for actuating the drive shaft and through the drive shaft, the turrets.

Gas is admitted to the chamber from the pipe 14 in accordance with the number of cans passing through the chamber and to this end, the feed pipe 46 is provided with a valve 47 controlled by a valve lever 48. This valve lever is connected by a link 49 with an upright lever 51, the upper end of which carries a head 52 arranged in a slot 53 in the guide 28 in position for engagement with a can in a turret pocket 26. An arm 54 is pivotally connected at 55 with the lever 51 and carries a cam roll 56 engaged in a cam 57 on shaft 24. As the turret 25-rotates, the'cam pulls the lever 51 to the left (viewing Fig. 3) as each pocket, containing a can, is presented to the guide 28. If a can is present in the pocket, the head 52 engages the side of the can and the lower end of the lever is moved inwardly to open the valve and admit a small additional charge of gas in amount having direct ratio with the gas removed from the chamber as a result of the substitution for air in the can. Whenever, and as often as, the pockets 26 pass the guide 28 without a can, the upper end of the lever 51 may be swung in under the action of the cam 57 and no gas is admitted as a result, the lever 51 at such times moving idly about its lower end without moving the valve.

As the cans pass through the chamber, the air floats from within the cans out through the heavier inert gasand escapes to the atmosphere through the open top. Experiment has demonstrated that this transposition in the can occurs within easil practical limits of time travel and it will e manifest that since the operation is continuous, it

- may be run at high speed and at any speed chamber extending so throughlsaid zone of inert gas, being placedjy said that may be desired to maintain the cycle of operation in the canning factory or packing house, this being largely determined by the rate of turret rotation. I

The invention concerns itself both with the process and apparatus and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described being merely a preferred embodiment thereof. 1

I claim:

1. An apparatus for applying an inert gas to replace an in filled cans, which comprises,

a chamber providing a zone of said inert gas and means movin cans continuously into an out of said cham er and through said zone of gas for a period suflicient to ermit displacement of air in the cansby sald gas, and means for supplying inert gas to said zone duringnthe moving of said cans.

2. apparatus for applying an inert gas to filled cans preparatory to closing, which comprises, a chamber open at its top and ada ted to contain a zone of an inert gas heavier t an air, means for moving a can into and out of said chamber, the vertical walls of said above the tops of cans thereunder, where said inert gas may displace the airin said cans. v

3. An apparatus for applying an inert gas to filled cans reparatory to closing, which comprises, a cl iamber maintaining a zone of inert gas heavier than air, means for introducing cans into and removing them from said chamber, whereby to permit displacement of air in the cans by said inert means for supplying inert as to said chamber in amount determined y the number of cans introduced into said chamber.

4. Anapparatus for applyin an inert gas to filled cans preparatory to c osing, wh ch comprises, a chamber for containing an inert gas, means for conveyingcans continuously 1nto, through and out 0 said chamberand 0 en at the top for escape gas 1111 said cans from said chamber; j 5. A-napparatus for appl to filled cans preparatory to c osing, comprises, a c amher openi 'atthe top and adapted to contain a zone of inert gas heavier than air, means for moving- -cansi11to said chamber to permit displacement of air in the cans, a gas supply conduit, and a valve con-F trolling "admission of additional inert gas to said chamber, operable-by the passage of a "cant P 5 gas, and.

i 6.,- An apparatus for applyin an inert gas to replace air in filled cans,'whic comprises a chamber open at the top and providing a zone of said inert gas, means for moving cans into and out of said chamber and throu h said zone of gas, means for automatically eeding covers onto the cans after they have been gassed, and means for suppl ing said gas to maintain said zone of gas a ove the tops of the cans.

' JOHN M. YOUNG.

said chamber of air dis aninert? watt. 

